Apple Says Say Hello To iPhone
January 09, 2007
San Francisco, CA - Apple today ended months of rumors and speculation by introducing iPhone, which combines three products in one: a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching and maps -- into one small and lightweight handheld device.
iPhone reivents the telephone by presenting an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering new software, letting users control iPhone with just their fingers. iPhone also ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device.
"iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs at the opening of Macworld, being held this week in San Francisco. "We’re all born with the ultimate pointing device -- our fingers -- and iPhone uses them to create the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse." To watch the keynote by Jobs, click here.
Apple says iPhone will be available in the US in June 2007, in Europe by late 2007, and Asia in 2008, in a 4GB model for $499 (US) and an 8GB model for $599 (US), and will work with either a PC or Mac. iPhone will be sold in the US through all Apple outlets, and through Cingular, Apple's exclusive carrier partner for iPhone in the US. Several iPhone accessories are also expected by June, including Apple's new and compact Bluetooth headset.
Revolutionary Mobile Qualities
iPhone’s revolutionary mobile features allow users to make calls by simply pointing at a name or number. iPhone syncs all of your contacts from your PC, Mac, or Internet service such as Yahoo!, so that you always have your full list of up-to-date contacts with you. Additionally, iPhone makes it easy to construct a favorites list for frequently made calls, and allows users to blend calls together to create conference calls.
iPhone’s pioneering Visual Voicemail, an industry first, lets users look at a listing of their voicemails, decide which messages to listen to, then go directly to those messages without listening to the prior messages. Just like email, iPhone's Visual Voicemail will enable instant and random access to messages.
Weighing just 4.8 ounces, iPhone includes an SMS application with a full QWERTY soft keyboard to easily send and receive SMS messages in multiple sessions. When users need to type, iPhone presents them with an elegant touch keyboard which is predictive to prevent and correct mistakes. No stylus is needed. iPhone also includes a calendar application that allows calendars to be automatically synced with your PC or Mac.
The new product features an advanced, 2 megapixel camera and a photo management application. Users can browse their photo library, which can be synced from their PC or Mac with a flick of a finger, and easily choose a photo for their wallpaper or to include in an email. iPhone is a quad-band GSM phone which also features EDGE and Wi-Fi wireless technologies.
Widescreen iPod Features
iPhone has touch controls that lets users "touch" their music by easily scrolling through lists of songs, artists, albums and playlists.
The new device also features Cover Flow, Apple's innovative way to browse your music library by album cover artwork, for the first time on an iPod. When navigating your music library on iPhone, you are automatically switched into Cover Flow by simply rotating iPhone into its landscape position.
iPhone also serves as a widescreen iPod, which Jobs today declared as being "the world's most popular video player." Apple has sold more than 70 million iPods, and through its iTunes Store over 50 million TV shows and 1.3 million movies.
iPhone's widescreen design provides a 3.5-inch display of TV shows and movies with touch controls for play/pause, chapter forward/reverse and volume. Apple says iPhone plays the same videos purchased from the online iTunes Store that users watch on their computers and iPods, and which is coming soon for widescreen televisions via the new Apple TV. Apple’s iTunes Store now offers over 350 television shows, over 250 feature films and over 5,000 music videos.
Internet Communications Breakthrough
iPhone features a rich HTML email program which retrieves email in the background from most POP3 or IMAP mail services and displays photos and graphics along with the text. Multi-tasking features allow users to read a web page while downloading their email in the background.
Yahoo! Mail, the world's largest email service with over 250 million users, is offering a new free "push" IMAP email service to iPhone users that automatically pushes new email to a user's iPhone, and can be set up by entering your Yahoo! name and password.
Apple says iPhone will also work with most industry standard IMAP and POP based email services, such as Microsoft Exchange, Apple .Mac Mail, AOL Mail, Google Gmail and most ISPmail services.
iPhone also features an advanced version of Apple's Safari web browser for viewing HTML web pages, and zooming to expand page sections by tapping on the multi-touch display. Users can surf the web using Wi-Fi or EDGE, and can automatically sync bookmarks from their PC or Mac.
Using Advanced Sensors
According to Apple, iPhone employs advanced built-in sensors -- an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, and an ambient light sensor -- that automatically enhance the user experience and extend battery life. iPhone's built-in accelerometer detects when the user has rotated the device from portrait to landscape, then automatically changes the contents of the display accordingly, with users immediately seeing the entire width of a web page, or a photo in its proper landscape aspect ratio.
A built-in proximity sensor detects when you lift iPhone to your ear and immediately turns off the display to save power and prevent inadvertent touches. iPhone's built-in ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the display's brightness to the appropriate level for the current ambient light for better visibility, and to save power at the same time.
System Specs
Sized at 4.5 by 2.4 by 0.46 inches, iPhone includes support for quad-band GSM, EDGE, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR wireless technologies. It requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS(R) X v10.4.8 or later and iTunes 7; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2). iPhone's battery is said to last up to five hours for talk/video/browsing, and up to 16 hours for audio playback.
Internet access will be required with broadband recommended. Apple and Cingular say they will announce service plans for iPhone before it begins shipping in June.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues its leadership in innovation with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable music players and iTunes online store. To learn more about the iPhone visit www.apple.com
WEVA Industry News is a service of the Wedding & Event Videographers Association International.
About Wedding & Event Videographers Association International
The largest professional videographers association, WEVA International is dedicated to advancing the professional interests of videographers worldwide through continuing education, technical support, group benefits, advocacy committees, and professional development conferences.
Membership also includes global networking and system-training at the annual WEVA Wedding & Event Video Expo the wedding & event video industry’s largest convention and trade show, ongoing videographer (MPV) accreditation, video business marketing tools, and industry resources.
Join WEVA today to access valuable association membership benefits, including new job opportunities. For more information about WEVA EXPO 2007 (members receive discount admission) and all other benefits, including affordable Equipment and General Liability Insurance, Errors & Omissions Insurance, and the new Equipment Financing Program for videographers, contact the association at 941-923-5334 or email: [email protected]
|
